Memorial’s celebration of Newfoundland and Labrador art and artists began with the creation of the Memorial University Art Gallery in 1961.  

For the early gallery curators, such as Christopher Pratt and Peter Bell, it was an uphill battle to organize exhibit openings and attract artists from across the country, as many people didn’t know where St. John’s was.

Mr. Bell also had to fight to keep the gallery open year-round instead of closing during the summertime.  

He enlisted arts and culture advocate Edythe Goodridge (LLD’98), another former curator at the gallery, to help with installations. Every second Friday, they would work until the wee hours, changing out one exhibit for another. 

That collection eventually grew to 4,600 artworks.  

Exploring the passion and the past 

A selection of the collection is being featured as part of the Memorial University 100th Anniversary Art Gallery Exhibition at The Rooms. 

To explore the history of Memorial University and the arts in the province, The Rooms and Memorial University are hosting a special event, titled Dialogue and Debate, on Wednesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at The Rooms in St. John’s.  

Featured speakers are Jane Walker (BFA’15), visual artist and arts administrator at Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook/Elmastukwek, and Dr. Jeff Webb (BA’85, MA’87), professor and head of the Department of History at Memorial University, and author.

The pair will discuss the theme Broad Strokes: The Passion and the Past of the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador.  

Speakers and audience members will discuss the role of Memorial University in seeding a Newfoundland and Labrador arts community in the 1960s and 1970s and the role of cultural institutions like art galleries in the province today. 

Dialogue and Debate is an event series that invites experts from Memorial University to discuss and expand on the collections and exhibitions featured at The Rooms. The discussions are lively, informative and designed for the public.  

Tickets are free, but pre-registration is required. Visit here to register and for more information. 

Dialogue and Debate: The Passion and the Past of the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador is part of Memorial’s 100th anniversary programming.